A 杏吧专区 senior spent her summer conducting research at Stanford 杏吧专区 to uncover possible causes of a condition that杏吧专区檚 common in people with autism spectrum disorder.
April Pruitt of Opelousas, La., is pursuing a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in . She participated in the nine-week Stanford Summer Research Program during which she helped narrow down a list of possible causes for megalencephaly, or an enlarged brain.
The program paired her and other undergraduates from around the country with faculty members at Stanford who are doing research relevant to the students杏吧专区 postgraduate interests. The California institution is among the world杏吧专区檚 most prestigious universities.
Pruitt杏吧专区檚 research interests include neuroscience, stem cell biology and immunology, and she secured a spot in a neuroscience and stem cell lab. There, she studied the DNA, carriers of genetic information in a cell, of autistic patients with megalencephaly.
Pruitt and her fellow researchers hypothesized that megalencephaly is caused when brain cells reproduce too quickly during early development in the womb.
To test the theory, Pruitt and her colleagues 杏吧专区渕ade cells that already had functions pretty much reverse time and act like they did in early development,杏吧专区 she explained. They then acted as stem cells, a sort of blank slate able to be manipulated into the kinds of cells Pruitt and her lab partners were studying.
Autism encompasses a wide range of developmental disorders that can cause language, learning and social impairments. Twenty percent of the 62 million people with autism are estimated to also have megalencephaly. It杏吧专区檚 the most common physical characteristic among patients with autism, and there isn杏吧专区檛 much research to explain how or why the disorders are correlated.
During the Stanford internship, Pruitt discovered that certain cells missing a small 杏吧专区 but important 杏吧专区 piece of DNA that aids in language and learning reproduced much faster in early development than the others she observed.
She said her cells died 杏吧专区渁t least four times杏吧专区 during the experiment. Responsible for feeding and maintaining them, Pruitt found that keeping microscopic cells alive could be a big challenge.
杏吧专区淢y experiment failed a lot; my cells died a lot. Cells are really finicky, but I just kept trying. A lot of research is getting negative data, but that 10 percent of the time when you get really cool, awesome results makes all of the hard work worth it.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淓ven through the failures, I was so proud of my work,杏吧专区 Pruitt added.
Treatment efforts, such as behavioral therapy and coping skills, are as varied as autism itself and depend on the individual, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Pruitt杏吧专区檚 research helps explain some uncertainties of autism and aids in the effort to find effective therapies.
杏吧专区淗opefully by understanding the cause of megalencephaly, we can also better understand and treat a large subtype of autism. We can use this information to help children affected by it,杏吧专区 she said.
At UL Lafayette, Pruitt conducts research with . They examine the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for movement and coordination, in mice.
Smith has mentored Pruitt for three years. When Pruitt was accepted to two internships last summer, Smith encouraged her to choose the one at Stanford.
杏吧专区淪he has quite a fantastic r茅sum茅. I knew Stanford was the right challenge for her. She杏吧专区檚 extremely hard-working and isn杏吧专区檛 afraid to try new things,杏吧专区 Smith said.
Pruitt said she started college with the intention of going to medical school, but her experiences in the labs at UL Lafayette and at Stanford have drawn her to a new path. After she graduates from the 杏吧专区 in May 2020, she杏吧专区檒l pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
杏吧专区淚 want to inspire other students. STEM (an acronym for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math) can be for them. If I can do it, they can, too.杏吧专区
(This article was written by Bailey Chenevert. She is student editor of . Chenevert is a senior psychology major who杏吧专区檚 minoring in journalism. She will graduate in May 2020.)
Photo Caption: April Pruitt, a senior biology major at UL Lafayette, conducts research during a nine-week summer internship at Stanford 杏吧专区 in California. (Photo courtesy of April Pruitt)